The World Intellectual Property Day is held on 26th April of every year. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) marked26th April as World Intellectual Property Day in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” and “to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe”

WIPO’s member states designated 26th April because it was the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970. Now this day is celebrated as World IP Day with the aim of increasing general understanding of IP.

For 2013, World IP Day focusses on the ‘Creativity: The Next Generation‘ and WIPO has provided some themes that may be opted by different organizations around the world to spread awareness in masses about IP. These themes are listed below and can be chosen according to the audience:

  • Stage concerts or other public performances centered around the around the World IP Day theme, with the performers delivering messages which encourage respect for creators and creativity.

  • Run essay competitions for young people on themes relating to IP, innovation, piracy and counterfeiting etc.

  • Mark IP Day in schools with awareness building activities such as invention competitions to solve common problems; IP-related poster/video/etc. competitions; presentations by inventors, authors, musicians on how IP affects them; curriculum material distribution to schools; etc.

  • Run workshops with local businesses and chambers of commerce on how small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from using the IP system.

  • Involve the media. Work with local newspapers to publish editorials and articles on IP-related themes. Broadcast radio and television discussion programs about and how to promote and protect creativity and innovation, featuring participants from the creative fields as well as from local IP administrations.

  • Hold seminars in universities to build awareness of IP and its benefits among students, faculty and researchers.

  • Mount exhibits at shopping malls explaining how consumers benefit from IP systems (for example, how reliable trademarks can ensure consumer confidence, or how pirated or counterfeit goods can cause problems for consumers).

  • Hold public debates on “hot” intellectual property issues (such patents and access to pharmaceuticals, illegal file sharing of music on the Internet, the balance between protecting the rights of creators and a healthy public domain, etc.)

  • Involve science and art museums, with presentations explaining the link between the exhibitions, innovation and IP.

  • Work with local inventors’ associations to announce invention awards.

  • Celebrate the works of a notable inventor, artist, designer, entrepreneur, etc.

  • Run workshops to inform specific users or potential users of the IP rights system – artists, performers, photographers, musicians, inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. – of the rights provided by the IP system and the services available.

  • Create locally-focused IP Day publicity materials, such as posters, brochures, broadcast spots, targeted at specific audiences.

  • Have an “open doors” day in the local IP or copyright office.

  • Mount an exhibition presenting local traditional knowledge and its modern application.

  • Create a website containing general information about IP, case studies, videos, IP Day activities, quizzes, voting, etc.

  • Promote your IP Day activities through social media.

  • Find a spokesperson or create a spokes-character.

  • Create an IP Day newsletter or promote IP Day through existing newsletters.

  • Produce interviews, videos, podcasts, etc. featuring artists, authors, and inventors talking about their work and how it relates to IP.

  • Release studies, statistical data, surveys, etc. about the impact of innovation, the damage of counterfeiting and piracy, attitudes towards innovation, etc.

  • Hang an IP Day banner at the IP or copyright office, or other buildings.

  • Set up booths in the street, at airports, etc., informing the public about IP and the role it plays in their daily lives.

  • Distribute IP Day promotion materials (bookmarks, postcards, bags, mouse pads, etc.).

With this I hope that all of you who are engaged in IP services and education will be promoting World IP Day to their full extent.